State energy company Socar says ready to provide LNG to Pakistan as soon as PLL submits request
DNA
BAKU: Azerbaijan’s state energy company Socar is ready to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Pakistan as soon as it receives a request from Islamabad, the company told media on Tuesday, as Islamabad seeks spot cargoes to ease a growing energy shortfall.
Socar said a framework agreement signed in 2025 between Socar Trading and Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) allows the Pakistani buyer to purchase LNG cargoes directly under an accelerated procedure.
“Socar is ready to provide LNG to Pakistan as soon as PLL submits a corresponding request,” the company said in response to Reuters questions.
SOCAR did not say whether such a request had already been made, when a first delivery could take place, or whose LNG would be supplied under the agreement.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on gas for its energy needs, remains vulnerable to declining domestic production and swings in global LNG prices amid the supply disruptions related to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Pakistan State Oil (PSO), which was arranging the import of four LNG cargoes stranded in the strait under two agreements with QatarEnergy, has communicated via email to the Petroleum Division that the imports have been suspended until the situation caused by the closure of Strait of Hormuz stabilises.
Earlier, Pakistan had requested Qatar to provide four cargoes out of the 8-10 that were loaded and stranded due to the ongoing conflict, to be delivered once Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Tehran closed the strait again after determining that the US naval blockade had not ended and was instead continuing what it described as acts of piracy.
Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, speaking to The News two days ago, stated that QatarEnergy currently has 8-10 loaded LNG vessels available and Pakistan is seeking to secure as much volume as possible from these cargoes in the short term.
He added that once QatarEnergy lifts its force majeure conditions, Pakistan is expected to resume a more regular schedule of LNG imports.
Following an attack on a Qatar LNG facility, QatarEnergy declared force majeure on March 4. Since then, Pakistan has been deprived of imported gas supplies. The Power Division currently requires 400mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) of gas for electricity generation to bridge the gap and eliminate loadshedding.
